Four members of the Barrow County Board of Commissioners are on the agenda of Tuesday's upcoming BOC meeting to discuss hiring a new top administrator to help manage the county.
Commissioners Ben Hendrix, Isaiah Berry, Billy Parks and Steve Worley are on the agenda to discuss “chief administrator/county manager or chief of staff position.”
The issue has been discussed privately with Chairman Danny Yearwood since February, when the county’s two top administrators and several other department managers resigned. But this will be the board’s first public discussion of filling the top-administrator slot.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Dr. Stan Coley, chairman of the Barrow County Water Authority, will present a newly completed study of the county’s long-term drinking water needs. The study will recommend the expansion of some existing water sources into large reservoirs.
The meeting is at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the board’s meeting room on the second floor of the county administration building at 233 East Broad St.
Question is, what will it take for a true professional to be willing to step into this pathetically dysfunctional county?
The man is an exemplar of what not to look for in professionalism - he does a poor job of communicating, runs his meetings with no regard to rules of procedure, and makes deals outside the public view and only seeks the input of the commissioners after the fact. I didn't vote for him because I didn't trust him when he was running and I don't trust him now.
The county still has a big "route of the problem" and it appears that she is "untouchable." Until you get rid of "ALL THE CORRUPTION" the county will not succeed.
BARROW COUNTY NEEDS NEW PRESPECTIVE AND A NON BIAS QUALIFIED PERSON. SOMEONE WHO IS ABOVE BEING BULLIED & THREATEN, AND WILLING TO GET RID OF THE "BALANCE OF THE PROBLEM".
1. Hasn't lived here their entire life, is kin to half the county and is 2nd, 3rd, or 4th generation Barrow Countian.
2. Doesn't have a Realtor license or is a major land owner (100 + acres)
3. Is well educated and has a PROVEN track record.
4. Has a spine and will put a stop to the bullies inside the local government.
While I appreciate the Chairman and Commissioners trying to “plug the dike” during this crisis, the perception is that we have hit rock bottom and started to dig.
We need to go further than just hiring a new county administrator. Now is the perfect opportunity to take whatever steps necessary to go to a Commission/Manager form of government. Barrow County needs a true professional County Manager. This would free the Chairman and Commission to implement the people’s vision of Barrow County by setting overall policy rather than trying to run day-to-day operations, and for the most part, would remove them from personnel issues. Even though righting the ship will be a long painful process, the current perception of our county would be improved immediately which would allow us to move forward. In the end, this commission could be remembered for its courage and foresight.
Even though I am a “native son”, we definitely need to look outside the county. We do not need any current or former county elected officials, employees, long-term residents or persons with substantial financial ties to any segment of our economy. We need a fresh set of eyes and ears. If asked, I would certainly donate any time necessary to help accomplish this change and hire the best person.
Just my 2 cents worth.
Ernie Graham